A 10-year-old Florida boy accidentally shot his younger sister in the face with a handgun he found in his mom’s car after she left them alone with her two other kids, a baby and a toddler, according to cops.
The unidentified mom went inside a RaceTrac gas station in West Palm Beach early Tuesday while her four kids — aged 1, 2, 8 and 10 – stayed in the car, CBS 12 reported.
After the mom left, the eldest child rifled through the compartment and found a semiautomatic Glock, police spokesman Mike Jachles told the outlet.
The gun went off and hit his 8-year-old sister in the cheek, the police spokesman said.
“She was conscious and alert,” Jachles said of the struck girl, who is expected to make a full recovery after surgery at a local hospital.
Police and the Florida Department of Children and Families are investigating the shooting, which could lead to charges against the mother.
The two other siblings, a 1-year-old boy and 2-year-old girl, were not hurt in the incident.
“The circumstances could have been much worse,” Jachles told WPBF.
“Every handgun comes with responsible ownership, and all it takes is a minute. And every handgun should be treated as if it’s loaded and certainly not in the hands of children.”
Kathy Wall, director of Safe Kids Palm Beach County, called it a “wake-up call” for parents.
“Never leave a loaded gun or even an unloaded gun in any place where kids can have access to it,” Wall told WPBF, saying ammo should also be stored separately from weapons.
“With the amount of TV shows and video games that kids have access to today, they really don’t realize the real-life consequences that a gun can have,” Wall added.
